Linux Mint is beautiful. It's fast. It's usable, you can get things done. It's customizable and Wine helps to run Windows applications great. Hats off to the developers.

So why am I going back to windows?Because it took me a day to get my Lexmark printer working. Because Adobe is discontinuing Flash plugin support for Linux. Because the sound doesn't work no matter what I try. Because the Java browser plugin has issues in the 64-bit version and installing 32-bit Java and Firefox on 64-bit Mint is a nightmare. Because you have to set up so much and enter your password every time - in Windows you just press "yes". Because my school licences Office and Windows to me for free.

In the end - it's not about the developers making a bad product. It's about the general environment/public/corporations that make the hardware being so ugly to Linux and providing very little, very basic support and drivers. I did get to appreciate the power of the command line and the endless configurability and the security - but it's just not enough. There is so much disorder in vendor support that I'm not bothering.

Actually, I kinda thought like you my first month using Linux. Didn't understand squat. Stuff did not work, couldn't understand why. Couldn't understand why there were 400+ distros and the first 3 I tried couldn't work 100% on the first try. It was mostly related to graphics, video and sound. Best thing I did was build a new Ivy Bridge system and use the Intel graphics. Yes, vendor support. Some day I may buy a second hdd for Windows only and only for games and other software I miss. I'm not messing with Wine or VMs or dual boots. Best of luck to you.

I still do run into frustrating configuration with Linux Mint, but it is a very gratifying os once you get a better understanding of the structure of Linux. Linux has open source alternatives for java and flash - I've found that proprietary software is something you almost entirely give up on Linux. If you open up Synaptic package manager, normally you just type in 'java', 'flash', 'printer, and you'll get alternatives to the mainline versions. It's do-able on some proprietary software to install on Linux that supports it; however, it's a pain in the ass if you are not experienced in manually configuring directories, installing, and setting up paths for other software to look for. Even though Wine supports Windows programs, the program's api's don't respond very well to correspondent Linux software. Also, there's no support in Wine for setting up Windows device drivers I assume? I know there's a way to convert a Windows driver into a Linux driver, but it seems like it would be frustrating and not worth the time. So, it's either a company supports Linux or they don't. If they don't, find an alternative - most programs do a pretty good job for being free.

usually sound issues can be worked out (have you addressed this in the hardware section? if i need windows it is either dual boot or whack windows into virtual box, that way i have the functions needed while figuring out how they can work with mint or openSUSE, these days it is mint for me, unbuntu for a while.

Last edited by beachgardener on Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

AlqasimO wrote:Yes, Linux often doesn't receive the vendor support it deserves but if people give up and go back to Windows, what incentive do they have to provide support?

Very good point, if we as a group would contact vendors and let them know "I am not going to use your product as you provide no support for it in the Linux environment" sooner or later sales and marketing will see this and say "we are missing out on an entire market, we need to correct this" Right now vendors are looking at sagging sales, seems to be a good time to enlighten them.

I've just emailed logitech support to complain about the lack of mouse software on Linux. I've got a quick search button and thumb scroll wheel which are essentially useless at the moment. Fair enough, they haven't advertised it as Linux compatible, but I did let them know next time around I'll only buy hardware that has a decent level of support from its makers.

Tit wrote: Because you have to set up so much and enter your password every time - in Windows you just press "yes". Because my school licences Office and Windows to me for free.

I would guess that is the main reason

And you are correct in seeing that Linux OS and application developers are making good products, and often enough able to compete with commercial ones--in schools I can think of Moodle as a classroom course management softwarehttp://www.turnkeylinux.org/moodle

It is very unfortunate for any other user than windows OS or Mac/OSX (waiting for latest office, at least they get a copy unlike the real competition Linux..) are almost being forced to use MS office suite because of market penetration and inertia from business that buy into the idea they must have an office suite--most of the time for many businesses they don't really need such a big package to manage most of their office tasks

Hi "Tit" - you're right on all counts but you've excluded the monster in the pack. Just like my old UNIX buddies in the 70's & 80's, geeks don't learn, they just whine, shouting "it isn't fair" but then insist on keeping the Linux world fragmented and operationally... a black art.Simple example... check out any forum response on getting a scanner to work. The answer is a huge wall of CLI ( sic ) acronyms and freaky "stuff" run in a terminal window.

Like many (I suspect), I'm frustrated with the bloat-ware of the MS fraternity and definitely don't want to see a drift in to that malaise but come on guys... multi-function printer and scanner drivers bringing the Linux world to a halt??? Get with the game, this is not new suff